ArticleBMC health services research2019
Socio-demographic differences in the frequent use of emergency department care by older persons: a population-based study in Stockholm County.
Article in BMC health services research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sex differences in multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department visits in region Stockholm: a population-based study between 2018-2021.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The evolving prehospital care: a 12-year retrospective analysis.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Frequent emergency department users in Finnish public healthcare - a nationwide registry-based study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Frequency and predictors of emergency department visits among the oldest old in Finland: the Vitality 90+ Study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Socioeconomic differences in older adults' unplanned hospital admissions: the role of health status and social network.Age and ageing · 2023Article
- Socio-demographic differences in polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate drug use among older people with different care needs and in care settings in Stockholm, Sweden.Scandinavian journal of public health · 2023Article
- Ageing people with intellectual disabilities and the association between frailty factors and social care: A Swedish national register study.Journal of intellectual disabilities : JOID · 2022Article
- Article
- Health system reforms and the needs of the ageing population-an analysis of recent policy paths and reform trends in Finland and Sweden.European journal of ageing · 2022Article
- An observational pilot study: Prevalence and cost of high frequency emergency department users at Örebro University Hospital, Sweden.PloS one · 2022Observational
- Discharging the complex patient - changing our focus to patients' networks of care providers.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Eldercare services for people with and without a dementia diagnosis: an analysis of Swedish registry data.BMC health services research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn Sweden, the number of older people using emergency department (ED) care is rising. Among older persons an ED visit is a stressful event, which potentially could have been prevented or treated at other levels of care. Frequent ED use (> 4 visits a year) by older persons might reflect issues in the organisation of health care system to address their needs. We aimed to explore socio-demographic differences among older people seeking ED care in terms age and gender, and to investigate the association between income and frequent ED use.
methodsA population-based study analysing the utilisation of ED care by (N = 356,375) individuals aged 65+ years. We linked register data on socio-demographic characteristics from 2013 to health care utilisation data in 2014. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the income differences in the frequent use of ED care, adjusting for living situation, country of birth, residential area, age in years, multi-morbidity and the use of other health care services.
resultsThose 65+ years accounted for (27%) of all ED visits in Stockholm County in 2014. In the study population (2.5%) were identified as frequent ED users, who were predominantly in the lower income groups, living alone or in an institution, had more multi-morbidity, and utilised more of other health care services. The lowest income groups had a three-fold greater odds of being a frequent ED user than those in the highest income group. In the adjusted models, the odds were reduced by 12-44% for those in the lowest income groups. However, age and gender differences were observed with men 65-79 years (OR 1.75 CI: 1.51-2.03) and women 80+ years (OR 1.50, CI 1.19-1.87) in the lowest income groups having a higher odds of frequent ED use.
conclusionThis study observed that ED visits by older persons are driven by a need of care, and those that frequently visit hospital-based EDs are a socially disadvantaged group, which suggests that the organisation of care for older people should be reviewed in order to better meet their needs in other levels of care.
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